Many mention the pain when BM but do you also sometimes get the pain that happens when you need one, or have wind that you need to pass?
Reading this thread with interest especially regarding options. Just recently been diagnosed with this- what a PITA. Not the first time I've had it but only just got it checked out.

Yes, if there's a lot of pressure from a waiting BM or gas it can hurt before. I find this especially before any healing has taken place. My fissures always get a bit worse before they start getting better. A huge gas bubble can do harm, that's why I stopped using prunes and prune juice.

Hey Jehanzeb! I'm so glad you got to see a good surgeon. The only thing I would say is that surgeons very commonly grossly underestimate recovery time. It is highly unlikely that you would be back to work the day after an LIS. You would be looking at at least a week, and ideally two weeks to recover. That said, the recovery is not so horrible. The first few days aren't much fun. But for many of us, they are not really worse than the fissure. After about a week, the pain diminishes quite a bit until gradually after two weeks it tends to taper off to discomfort and then no discomfort or pain at all (or only very sporadically and with decreasing frequency as time passes). This is, of course, a typical scenario as I experienced it, and as I've read from the posts here. We all heal differently, though, so I can't make any promises.
I think you did the right thing giving yourself a bit more time with the ointment. Only have the surgery if and when you are ready to have it. Surgery is a good option for many of us. It gave me my life back. But it is something that you have to be ready to do.
I'll keep my fingers crossed that you don't need surgery. But if you do, try not to worry. Many folks here regret that they waited so long to have the surgery and it has a very high success rate. :D

Hi all,
@superfissures: Yes, i do have this pain when i need to pass the wind, it seems as if the whole area is pushing down and when the gas actually passes away, i feel that the muscles have relaxed. However, passing the gas also becomes a tedious task at times and it usually happens to me 1-2 hours after having a BM.
@hopetoheal: yes, i could feel that the surgeon was a bit too relaxed when he mentioned the surgery as if its a child game for him. He just said " You can have an operation, lets admit you on Wednesday morning so that you'll be able to go home in the evening and take some rest, and then you can go to work the next day, so do you want to get admitted then?" and i was like dude, you must be doing operations every day but not me, gimme some time :D (i didnt say this to the surgeon of course :$) to be honest, i was a bit disappointed with the surgeon when he mentioned the surgery, i asked him for some alternatives and he only said if you can bear the pain longer, you can try out laxatives and GTN for a few more days. So, i guess i wont be getting operated just on his word, i might get the surgery done from him as he is a renowned surgeon and has cured a few relatives of mine who were suffering from piles and fissures. But i am thinking of getting another opinion.
I also spoke to a doctor in UK about my fissures last night, he is a cosmetic surgeon but i thought of just asking him whats the best thing to do. He said it would be better if i first have botox and see if the fissure heals before i go for surgery, as he said that surgery should be the last resort and as you are not having so much pain, so maybe it is curable without surgery.

Hey Jehanzeb - it sounds like you are doing everything right, for what you need. If you are not comfortable with surgery right now, then don't do it. For many of us, there really was no other option. In my case, the pain was so bad, I was in agony for most of the day, every day. I lost a dangerous amount of weight and I developed some pretty serious anxiety disorders. My overall health was deteriorating rapidly and I couldn't deal with the agonizing pain any longer, so I had to do something. Obviously, that is a situation where options are limited. It sounds like you are not in that kind of situation, so you have time to try other options and make up your mind. You also know that surgery has a very good record and you have a good surgeon, so you have a good back-up plan if all else fails. I agree with the other surgeon you spoke to - surgery should be a last resort. I expect your regular surgeon is going on the basis of his experience with the most common pattern (that is, most chronic fissures need surgery at the end of the day). But we are all different, and not everybody follows the common path, so go with your instincts. Only you know whether or not surgery is a good option for you. :D

I have been there. I have felt what you went through when you took the laxative and the next morning was still unable to go. My first big flair up with my anal fissures I did the same thing. I thought it would make it easier, but it tormented me more, since now I really had to have a bm and my body fought me.
My fissures have flaired up again yesterday. I have been taking Marilax everyday since September 1st. I missed 2 days and I am back to square one again. Since my last painful bm I have bought a sitz bath. I fill the bowl with water and put it on the toilet. I gave it a try yesterday when I could not go because of the pain. I soaked for about 10 to 15 minutes and it relaxes the muscle so it is easier. It has worked very well. I have used it ever time I have to have a bm since yesterday.
I would try soaking in a tub for about 10 -15 minutes when you feel a bm coming on. I will help.
Good luck!

hi Hopetoheal,
applying gtn at the right place sure is helping me. I am no longer having any pain while BM but post BM pain lasts for around 5-8 hours but its still bearable, i am easily able to work. So, lets hope i dont have to end up having a surgery and it heals itself:)
Hi vsweeney09,
Sorry to hear about your fissures. Although i am having smooth BMs nowadays but i am also afraid of having a fissure back if i missed taking laxative. Someone mentioned to me that it would be better if i also get a check about my constipation and the reason for hard stools. Constipation runs in my family so i know i inherited it :( My dad has constipation so he is taking some homeopathic medicines. They are good, they just make it easy for the stools to pass. I tried it once and the stools came out as if they were dipped in oil :D
Sitzbath is good, it will really help in curing. I have figured that my post BM pain is usually because of gas that doesnt pass out because of the spasm maybe, and builds a pressure in the anal region causing more pain. After having a BM, when i start feeling this pain, i usually sit in water for 20-30 minutes and feel the muscles relaxing. as soon as they are relaxed, the gas passes easily and the pain goes away.

Hi Vsweeney,
I was wondering since you've been taking Miralax since September, did you think your fissure had healed? I'm in the same boat as you. I took Miralax for a month, no blood , no pain. But as soon as I missed a dose it's back. I thought it had healed. It is really frustrating.

Hi Pgre,
I read here somewhere that fissures do take a lot of time to heal completely. It might heal initially to a point that you dont feel any more pain but as soon as you have one hard BM, it tears again.
Therefore, you must continue taking all precautionary measures atleast for 8 weeks even after you feel it has healed.
Experts, please shed a light on it if i am wrong as i also read it somewhere.

Yes, in my experience one must be very careful for a couple of months after you've healed - indeed you have to be careful the rest of your life. That scar tissue doesn't stretch, so if you mess up and allow yourself to get constipated the fissure will open up years later. That's how it's been for me. Always have to be vigilant in high fibre diet, lots of water, exercise etc.